The Good Samaritan
by ficnic
Summary: A good deed goes awry.


Written for the 2nd Annual Lil' Bang event at **theneid** livejournal.

* * *

Noah pulled up along the shoulder of the darkened road, flipping the switch for the hazard lights to warn other drivers of the two stopped vehicles. In the evening's rainstorm, visibility was crap. Noah felt for the stranded motorist he'd stopped to assist, until the man stepped out from behind the lifted hood of his car.

_Reid Oliver._

Noah silently fumed. Now that he'd stopped, there was no way to do what he wanted - get right back into his truck and drive off, leaving Reid to twist in the considerably strong wind. If there was any way Noah could've taken off without Luke finding out, he would have. _Dammit_.

"Mr. Mayer," the doctor greeted in that tone he used with people; the one suggesting Reid understood the need to feign respect while getting what he wanted out of someone. First, he'd wanted the acclaim he could attain with Noah's operation. Then, he'd wanted Luke. And now, he wanted Noah to fix something the great-and-powerful Reid Oliver couldn't - his car.

The most infuriating thing was, Noah knew he was about to help the man go three-for-three.

* * *

"Go lighter on the gas pedal," Noah instructed, his aggravation now joined by his discomfort, the hard rain soaking through to his skin. His lightweight hoodie would've been sufficient for the temperature, had he not been standing out in the storm. "_No_ - you're giving it too much. You'll flood the engine."

"Then you do it," Reid groused, clearly displeased to be told he was doing something incorrectly.

"Fine," Noah snapped back from under the hood, wishing AAA hadn't said there'd be a minimum two-hour wait for roadside assistance in the inclement weather. "But you'll have to hold this valve open." In five minutes' time, they'd had more than enough of the rain, and each other. _Especially_ each other.

"I'm a brain surgeon," Reid retorted sarcastically. "I think I can manage to handle even that complicated task."

_Whatever_, Noah mentally griped. After showing Reid what to do, Noah headed for the driver's seat. He carefully started the ignition, giving it just enough juice to persuade the engine to turn over.

Noah sighed in relief that he was free to go. As he moved to exit the car, however, he was pulled back by his hoodie. He tugged, trying to figure out what it was stuck on.

"Thank you for your assistance. You can go now," Reid snarked in annoyance, still standing in the rain and getting soaked himself.

"My jacket's stuck," Noah said in lieu of a bitchy comeback. He was almost home-free, and wasn't about to let Reid bait him into saying something that could be used against him with Luke. He sort of doubted Reid would deign to bother - he already _had_ Luke, after all. Still, it made no sense to arm his rival.

"Well unstick it," Reid huffed, his impatience with the situation apparent.

"The zipper's caught in the buckle," Noah explained, using every reserve of his control to stop himself from telling Reid to take a flying fuck.

Having had enough exposure to the cold fall shower, Reid leaned into the vehicle, reached across Noah's lap, and pulled. The tearing sound indicated Noah was now free, though his zipper hadn't survived the ordeal. "You broke it, asshole." It was the last straw, and Noah's resolve had wavered enough to allow himself one little barb.

"I'll buy you a new one. Anyway, we're even now. I fixed your eyes; you fixed my car."

Noah knew the remark was Reid's return volley. Because they both knew better. They weren't even.

Reid had won.

* * *

_The next day_

A number of thoughts sped through Reid's mind in the span of several seconds. In no hurry to extoll Noah's virtues, he hadn't told Luke about Noah's Good Samaritan act last night. Maybe it was petty, but he'd reasoned that Noah would tell Luke anyway, so what was the harm in putting it off?

Of course Reid knew now, if Noah figured out what happened, he wouldn't tell Luke. And because Reid hadn't wanted to give Noah credit, Luke would never know the truth. He'd never know that this whole thing was fucking Noah Mayer's fault.

As Reid pulled desperately at the seat belt, trapped within its buckle by a deadly piece of Noah's broken zipper, he cursed his boyfriend's ex. In the final moments, he remembered what he'd told Noah last night. But they weren't even.

Noah had won.


End file.
